Handle fastener



April 1962 D. REITER 3,030,685

HANDLE FASTENER Filed Jan. 25, 1960 INVENTOR. 'DANIEL I. REITER BY armSAa ol'ro A TTORNE Y5 United States Patent 3,030,685 HANDLE FASTENERDaniel I. Reiter, 11 E. 31st St., New York, N .Y. Filed Jan. 25, 1960,Ser. No. 4,397 11 Claims. (Cl. 24265) This invention relates to afastener for the handle of a handbag or the like and to the method ofmaking the same. More particularly, the invention is concerned with theprovision of a fastener loop at the end of a handle. The invention isshown and described with reference to the handle of a ladys handbag,wherein it finds its principal applicability.

In a common form of ladys handbag a flexible handle is formed with aloop at each end to permit the pivotal attachment of the handle to thebody of the handbag. Usually the loop at each end of the handle receivessome form of movable ring, such as a common U-ring, which also passesthrough a fixed ring or tube attached to the upper portion of thehandbag frame.

The attachment of the handle to the handbag body is frequently a sourceof difliculty, because the stresses which occur over a period of usecause the material of the handle at the loop to become defaced, damaged,torn, or even broken. Various attempts have been made to alleviate theforegoing condition, most of which are directed toward the reinforcementof the handle material at the loop. Such proposals have not beenentirely satisfactory, however, notably because of increased costandcomplexity.

It is accordingly a principal object of the invention to provide aunique fastener for the end of a handbag handle or the like and toprovide a unique method of making the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved solution tothe handle attachment problem as aforesaid, which resides in forming theloop in an attachment device which is distinct from the handle itself.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. handle fastener orattachment device which is strong, reliable, yet decorative.

Still another object of the invention is to provide devices of theforegoing type which are economical to manufacture and use.

Briefly stated, a fastener is formed in accordance with the invention byproviding a stiff, bendable T-shaped piece which is inserted within aslightly larger T-shaped envelope. The stem of this composite member orassembly is bent back around the end of a handle to form a loop, and thearms are bent back to embrace the stem and handle end. The fastener ispermanently secured to the handle by providing teeth or points at thestem and arm ends, which are forced into underlying material.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and features of theinvention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished will becomemore readily apparent upon consideration of the following detaileddescription of the invention in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate preferred and exemplary embodiments, andwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating two parts of a fastener inaccordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which theseparts are assembled;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view illustrating a first step in the joiningof fastener and handle;

FIGURE 4 is a prespective view illustrating a second step in the joiningprocedure;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view illustrating the completion of thejoining operation;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a modified fastener device;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view illustrating the modified device employedto fasten a handle to a handbag frame;

FIGURE 8 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 88 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which thefastener device of FIGURES 68 is bent; and

FIGURE 10 is a transverse sectional view taken along line Ill-10 ofFIGURE 5.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGURE 1 thereof, one formof the invention comprises a generally T-shaped flat piece 10 of stifi,bendable material, such as aluminum. The piece 10 has a stem 12 andaligned cross arms 14 and 16, all of which are preferably formedintegrally from a single stamping. The ends of the stem and arms areprovided with points, teeth, or serrations 18 which project obliquelyfrom the plane of the stem and arms at the same side of the piece, thatis, upwardly in FIGURE 1. Piece 10 is associated with a slightly largerT-shaped envelope 20, which may be formed of a suitable flexiblecovering material, such as plastic, leather or other penetrablematerial. The envelope is completely closed except for an access opening22, which in the form shown is a slit located along the center line ofthe arms 24 and 26, which with the stem 28 correspond to the identicallynamed parts of the piece 10. The material of the envelope is preferablyin decorative conformity with the material of the handle and/ or thehandbag body with which the fastener is to be employed. The peripheraledges of the envelope 20 may be sealed by stitching, heat sealing,glneing, or the like.

The previously formed parts of FIGURE 1 are assembled as shown in FIGURE2, the piece 10 being slipped through the opening 22 so that the stem 12passes into the envelope stem 28. When the piece is fully inserted, thematerial of the envelope arms 24- and 26 is pulled around the exposedpart of the piece arms 14 and 16 so that the piece is substantiallyfully covered and hidden from view.

The piece-envelope assembly or composite member may then be employed toform an attachment loop at the end of a handbag handle. To accomplishthis, the end of a handle represented in FIGURE 3 as a flat flexiblestrap 30 is placed against the pointed side of the assembly in alignmentwith the stem 28 (the envelope reference characters being referred tofor convenience) and spaced from the pointed end of the stem. The stemis then bent back over the handle end to form a loop 32 as shown in FIG-URE 3. In the example illustrated the loop forming operation also servesto connect the fastener to the handbag frame 34, because the stem ispassed through a ring 36 which is received within a sleeve 38 attached,as by Welding, to the frame. It will be appreciated, however, that theloop could be formed first, and the operation of attachment to the framemade entirely separate.

The toothed end of the stem is pressed firmly against the handle 30,which is backed by the adjacent portions of the arms 24 and 26, asuitable tool being employed for this purpose. The teeth or points atthe end of the stem accordingly penetrate the envelope material andbecome embedded in the handle. Arms 24 and 26 are then bent around thehandle end and the stem so as to embrace the same as shown in FIGURES 4and 5. In the illustrative form the arms overlap one another, and theteeth or points of the respective arms are pressed into and becomeembedded in the underlying flexible material of the envelope, indentingthe piece material somewhat, as shown in FIGURE 10. From FIGURE 5 it canbe seen that the finished fastening is firmly attached to the handle andto the handbag frame, .yet provides a decorative appear ance. Moreover,the stiff material of the piece 10 within the envelope provides thereinforcement necessary to long use of the'handbag.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a modified form. of attachment device. In this forma T-shaped piece 40 of stiff, bendable material has arms 42 and 44 likethe previous embodimeat, but has a bifurcated stem 46. The stem parts Aand 46B are spaced and substantially parallel and have points 48 attheir ends which project obliquely from the stem parts in substantiallythe same direction. Arms 42 and 44 have teeth or points 50 like theteeth or points 18 of FIGURE 1. In use, the stem 46 is bent back to forma loop 52 as shown in FIGURE 9, the handle end being omitted for clarityof illustration. The arms 42 and 44 are bent back around the stem parts46A and 46B, and the teeth or points 50 of the. arms are introduced orprojected into the space between the stem parts as shown in FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 7 illustrates the device of FIGURE 6 which has been insertedwithin the T-shaped envelope of FIGURE 1. The stem of the envelope couldbe bifurcated like the piece which it encloses. The handle of FIGURE 7is substantially thicker than the handle 30 previously described and ispreferred for use with the modified device. As shown in FIGURE 8, thepoints 48 of thestem parts are pressed into and become embedded in thehandle, like the points 50. The modified construction is strong, yetdecorative like the embodiment previously described. N

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changescan be made without departing from the principles and spirit of theinvention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.Accordingly, the foregoing embodiments are ,to:beconside r edillustrative, rather than restrictive of the invention, and thosemodifications which come within the meaning and range of equivalency ofthe claims are to be included therein.

The invention claimed is:

1. In combination with astrap end, a fastener loop comprising a T-shapedcomposite member, having an inner element in the form of a' stiff,bendable T-s haped piece and an outer envelope of a flexiblepenetrata-ble material substantially fully encasing said piece, saidinner -T-shaped piece having at least one penetrating tooth at each ofits extremities, said T-shaped composite member being applied to saidstrap end with the strap end located adjacent a loop formed by bendingthe stemof the T-shaped composite member upon itself and forcing theteeth at the .end of said stem into said strap end, the aligned arms ofsaid T-shaped composite member being bent over upon said bent stem, oneof said arms having its teeth penetrating said bent stem, the other ofsaid arms having its teeth penetrating the first-mentioned arm.

. 2. Means for fastening the end of a handle to a ring on a handbagcomprising a T-shaped composite member composed of an inner stiff,bendable T-shaped piece substantiaily completely enclosed within anenvelope of flexible, penetratable material, the innerYpiece havingpenetrating teeth at the end of the sternithereof and at the end of eacharm thereof, the end of the handle being positioned against, one face ofthe T-shaped compositemember in alignment with the stem thereof, thestem pf said composite member being threaded through the ring of thehandbag and bent upon itself in face-to-face relation with said handleend and with its teeth penetrating said handle end, the arms of saidcomposite member being bent over to embrace the handle end and the bentstem, with V the teeth of one arm penetrating the envelope of the stem,

and with the teeth of theother arm penetrating the envelope of thefirst-named arm.

3. A device according to claim 1 in which the stem of said inner, stilf,bendable T-shaped pieeeis continuous and uninterrupted.

4. A device according to claim 1 in which the stem of said inner, stiff,bendable T-shaped piece is bifurcated.

5. A device according to claim 1 in which the stem of said inner, stiff,bendable T-shaped piece is bifurcated, and the arms of said T-shaped'composite member are bent inwardly over said bifurcations and towardeach other so that the teeth on the ends of said arms are positionedbetween said bifurcations and penetrate said strap end.

6. The method of making a handle fastener for a handbag or the likewhich comprises the steps of providing a composite T-shaped membercomposed of a stiff, bendable T-shaped piece encased within acorresponding shaped envelope, there being penetrating teeth at theextremities of said piece, applying said composite member to said handleend, bending the stem of said composite member upon itself to form aloop as an extension of said handle end, forcing the teeth at the end ofsaid stem into said handle end, and bending the aligned arms of saidcomposite member over said stem, in succession, forcing the teeth of oneof said arms into the envelope material of said stem and forcing theteeth of the other arm into the envelope material of saidfirst-mentioned arm.

7. The method of making a fastener loop at the end of a handbag handlewhich comprises the steps of providing a composite T-shaped membercomposed of an inner T-shaped piece of stiff, bendable material encasedwithin an outer envelope of flexible and penetratable material, theinner piece having penetrating" teeth at each of its extremities,applying said composite member to the end of a handbag handle with onesurface of the handle end in contact with said composite member and inalignment with the stem of said member in a manner to leave enoughmaterial of said stem to form a loop, bending'said stem over upon theopposite surface of said handbag handle end to form a loop and causingsaid penetrating teeth at the end of the stem to penetrate said handleend, bending one arm of said composite member over upon said stem andcausing the teeth on the extremity of that arm to penetrate the materialof said stem, and bending the remaining arm of said composite memberover upon 'said first-mentioned arm and causing the teeth thereof topenetrate the underlying arm.

8. The method of forming a fastener loop at the end of a handbag handlecomprising the steps of providing a composite T-shaped member composedof an'inner, stiff, bendable T-shaped piece, snugly encased within anouter envelope of corresponding shape, the piece having teeth at theends of its stem and arms, the stem of said piece being bifurcated,applying said composite member to the end of a handbag handle, bendingthe stem of said composite member to form a loop about the end of saidhandle with the teeth at the ends of the bifurcations penetrating saidhandle, and bending the aligned arms of said composite member over saidbifuracted stern and toward each other and causing the teeth at. theends of said arms to enter between said bifurcations and to penetratesaid handle end. I

9. The method of making a handle fastener for a handbag or the like,comprising forming a stiii'bendable T-shaped piece with points at theends of its stem and arms, forming a slightly larger T-shaped flexibleenvelope with an accessopening for said piece, inserting said piecethrough said opening and into said envelope so that it is coveredthereby, bending the stem of said piece and envelope assembly .upon theend of a handle, with the bight of the bent stem spaced from the handleend to form a loop, andbending the arms of said assembly 'upon theend ofsaid stem to'wrap them about said handle end. 7 V 1 The method of makingan end fastener for a handle of a handbag or the like, comprisingforming a stiff, bendable T-shaped piece with a pair of aligned arms andV a stem the extremities of which have points projectingobliquelytherefr'om on the same side of the piece, forming a slightlylarger T-shaped flexible envelope with an assesses access opening forsaid piece, inserting said piece through said opening and into saidenvelope to form a pieceenvelope assembly, placing the end of a flexiblehandle against the side of said assembly from which said points projectand in substantial alignment with said stern, bending said stem uponsaid handle end to form a loop, forcing the teeth of the stem into thehandle, bending the aligned arms upon the bent stern, and forcing theteeth of the bent aligned arms into the underlying material.

11. The method of forming an end fastener for the handle of a flexiblehandbag strap or the like, comprising forming a stiif, bendable T-shapedpiece with a pair of aligned arms and a bifurcated stem, at least saidbifurcated stem having teeth projecting obliquely from its end, bendingthe bifurcated stem around the end of a flexible handle so that theteeth are pressed into the handle, and

bending the aligned arms around the handle end and the bifurcated stemwith the ends of the aligned arms projecting medially of thebifurcation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,091,280 Brauer Mar. 24, 1914 1,407,291 Miller Feb. 21, 1922 1,985,103Olson Dec. 18, 1934 2,143,869 Donald Jan. 17, 1939 2,234,577 Reiter Mar.11, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,798 Great Britain Sept. 2, 1913 355,150Great Britain Aug. 20, 1931

